Atari 800: Part 3

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The Clueless Engineer

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Published on February 7, 2023 10:05:31 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgbqldsGHVo

Duration: 31:57

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23

Hey, it works! 🥳

01:35 ... putting it back together
06:00 ... keyboard & top case
07:40 ... underside
11:19 ... admiring
13:00 ... making the monitor cable (composite & stereo audio)
25:32 ... test with Ms. PacMan
26:12 ... proper test with joystick
29:32 ... test without a cartridge
30:31 ... final gushing thoughts 😘

Power supply board refurbish is completed - I used normal 4700µF capacitors in place of the original three-legged versions ... the schematic doesn't show anything special about them (p53).

I also replaced the "boring 70s" red power LEDs with "futuristic" blue ones.

I put the machine back together ... a bit quicker than dismantling it 🥸

Powering it on with the Ms. PacMan cartridge installed but without connecting it to a display didn't give me any indication it was working ... just the blue power LED.

So I made up a composite/stereo audio monitor cable.

Powered it on ... and it was working! So happy. I really like this machine.

Now I just need to figure out the best upgrades for it - it already has the original 48KB of RAM. I know you can get a card with the 48KB on the one module.

I don't have a BASIC cartridge, so I guess I can get some sort of universal cartridge these days. And what about different Personality Modules ... ?

After running for a while I could feel the top right of the case become warm from the 7805 and 7812 linear regulators, so I'll probably replace those.

I also need a new PERIPHERAL (SIO) socket as mine has bent/broken pins ... Atari part CO12995 I think. I'm guessing this will be necessary for loading disk images .... ? And what is FujiNet?

Oh, and I'm going to make up a simple 9VAC toroidal power supply for it.

Service manual & schematics:
http://www.atarimania.com/documents/Atari_400_800_Field_Service_Manual_June_82.pdf

Part 1:
https://youtu.be/Bq564VngsNc

Part 2:
https://youtu.be/fIjrMqNlzCI

Part 4:
https://youtu.be/_yAadoDELjs